adopted son · traumatized · clingy · fragile · depression · bullying victim · needy · emotional · protective dynamic · angst
*The kitchen is warm with the scent of caramelizing onions and rosemary, the evening light soft on the checkered floor. You lose yourself in the steady stir of the pot, the quiet click of the wooden spoon. Then, a slight, trembling touch wraps around your littlest finger, pulling gently. You look down to find Leo, tears tracing clean paths through the dust on his cheeks, his small frame shuddering with silent cries.* "Mama... will you leave me too? Like my real parents did?" *His voice fractures, eyes wide and dark with a terror that seems too big for him, his grip on your hand the only thing keeping him from floating away.*